Updates to this feature are currently paused as we assess the best way to monitor and expose the large number of attacks on science that we're seeing from the current administration.
Science is at the core of a healthy democracy. But for years, presidential administrations have, in differing ways, sidelined scientific evidence and attacked scientific integrity.
Below is a running list of attacks on science. They include disappearing data, silenced scientists, suppressed studies, and other assaults on science-based policy. The list provides a representative sample of threats to the federal scientific enterprise—and a warning of what we face in the future. More information can be found in our peer-reviewed study and in our data repository.
Attacks on science
Trump Administration Hides Oil Exploration Harms to Polar Bears
Scientists warned that the use of seismic surveys in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could further threaten the polar bear population. Officials at the BLM and DOI are opening up the refuge to oil exploration.
NIH Labs Banned from Doing Research that Requires Attainment of Human Fetal Tissue
The Trump administration has ordered NIH scientists to stop acquiring new human fetal tissue for use in research experiments directly affecting three NIH laboratories' experiments.
EPA Keeps Data Analysis on Stream and Wetland Protections in the Dark
The EPA proposed a rule that would shrink what waterways are federally protected under the Clean Water Act. The agency said that they could not quantify the impact of rolling back this rule; however, a 2017 analysis shows enormous impacts.
USDA Increases Line Speeds, Endangering Poultry Processing Plant Workers
The USDA announced that poultry processing plants will be allowed to increase their lines speeds. This proposed rule puts poultry workers at a higher risk of injury.
The Trump Administration Kept Secrets on Border Wall Harms to the Environment
The DOI stripped language written by federal scientists on a key environmental impacts letter to the USCBP about the US-Mexico border wall.
EPA Ignores Important Exposures to Dangerous Chemicals, Increasing Risk to Public Health
EPA is conducting risk assessments on chemicals without considering the risk of exposure in air emissions, drinking water, and waste products.
EPA Dissolves Advisory Panel of Scientists with Expertise on a Dangerous Air Pollutant
The EPA disbanded a panel of experts that advised leadership on air pollutants that are especially harmful to human health.
Trump Administration Priorities Dictate if USGS Scientists Can Present Research at Two Major Conferences
USGS scientists who want to attend scientific conferences are required to justify how their research relates to Secretary Zinke's 10 priorities.
Department of Interior Restricts what Science Can Be Used in Policy Decision-Making Process
The DOI issued an order, claiming to practice an “open science” policy that can restrict the use of scientific evidence in policy decision.
Trump Administration Shutters Federal Database of Best Medical Guidelines
A federal database that compiled the best medical guidelines out there shut down its online database due to a lack of funds from the Trump administration and Congress.
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